This is a problem that I hear a lot of beginners asking about. I’m no exception. Usually I can get where I want to go without too much trouble. When I rent a kayak, I can paddle around just fine once I take a few minutes to get a feel for it. But with my clunker of a boat, which neither tracks well nor turns easily (which makes steering corrections difficult!), trying to paddle a straight course can be really frustrating. If I can’t figure this out soon, my bank account just might have to cough up the price of another boat earlier than planned.
I read somewhere that beginners may find it easier to stay on track if they stroke with their paddle at a shallower angle, rather than the typical straight down into the water. This makes sense; if you’re paddling continuously, this setup logically should provide a more stable heading, and is probably more forgiving of an imperfect stroke.
I thought this might work well for me, so I tried it. Well, this way I can stay in a straight line for maybe 2 yards instead of 3 or 4 feet, but after that it gets squirrelly. My trips across the reservoir usually take the form of a long series of meandering curves, graceful pirouettes, and lots of inventive cursing.
Is there a doctor in the house? Because I can’t seem to diagnose this problem on my own.
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